Zipporah - All the Women of the Bible - Bible Gateway Scripture References— Exodus 2:21, 22; 4:24, 25; 18:1-6 Name Meaning—A Midian name, Zipporah means “a little bird,” “a sparrow.” Wilkinson observes that “the feminine termination ah added to the common word Zippor, which is also the father of Balak, king of Moab.” Such a name like “dove” or “lamb” would originally be a term of endearment, and thus the word passer &--;“a sparrow”—is used by the Roman poets. Passer is also being found as a Roman family name. The root of this word is an Arabic verb, signifying “to chirp.” Family Connections—Zipporah was one of the seven daughters of Jethro who is also called Reuel and Raguel ( Exodus 2:18; 4:24, 25; 18:1-6; Numbers 10:29 ).

It was to the home of this shepherd-priest in Midian that Moses came when at forty years of age he fled from Egypt, and meeting the seven girls drawing water Moses assisted them. Arriving home earlier than usual they told how the Egyptian had helped them. Brought up as a son of Pharaoh, Moses must have looked every inch a cultured Egyptian. Invited home, Moses was content to live with Jethro’s family, and married Zipporah, eldest of the seven daughters. Two sons were born of the union, Gershom and Eliezer. Some writers affirm, without adequate support, that the dark-skinned Ethiopian, “the Cushite woman” whom Miriam and Aaron were jealous over, is merely a description of Zipporah, and that therefore Moses was only married once. But the statement “He had married an Ethiopian woman” implies a recent occurrence, and that Zipporah, whom Moses had married 40 years previously, was dead. It is most unlikely that Miriam and Aaron would have waited all those years to murmur against Moses if Zipporah and the Ethiopian had been one and the same woman.

Zipporah, as a woman of Midian, did not share the spiritual values of her notable husband who found himself acting against the sacred tradition of Israel. This may be one reason why he named his second son Eliezer, meaning “The Lord of my father was my help.” To keep the peace, Moses compromised with his unbelieving wife and withheld circumcision, the sign of God’s covenant, from Eliezer. The Lord intervened, and as a sign of divine displeasure, Moses is stricken with a mortal disease. Both Zipporah and Moses became conscience-stricken over the profanation of God’s covenant, and Zipporah yields. Moses is too prostrate to take a knife and circumcize the child, so his wife severed the boy’s foreskin and, throwing it down before Moses said, “Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.” When Moses was restored to health relations in the home were not congenial, for he went on alone to Egypt, and Zipporah and the two sons went back to her home in Midian.

Of this unhappy incident Alexander Whyte says, “There are three most obscure and most mysterious verses in Moses' history that mean, if they mean anything at all to us, just such an explosion of ill-temper as must have left its mark till death on the heart of Moses and Zipporah. The best of wives; his help meet given him of God; the most self-effacing of women; the wife who holds her husband in her heart as the wisest and best of men &--;under sufficient trial and provocation and exasperation, even she will turn and will strike with just one word; just once in her whole married lifetime.” When Moses became the mighty leader and law-giver of Israel, there was the episode when Jethro, his father-in-law came out to the wilderness to see Moses and brought with him Zipporah and the two sons. The union was devoid of any restraint for Moses graciously received them and neither disowned nor ignored his wife and sons. But after this visit during which Jethro gave his over-burdened son-in-law some very practical advice, nothing more is said of Zipporah.

She disappears without comment from the history of the Jewish people in which her husband figured so prominently. “Neither as the wife of her husband nor as the mother of her children did she leave behind her a legacy of spiritual riches.” How different it would have been if only she had fully shared her husband’s unusual meekness and godliness and, like him, left behind footprints in the sands of time! Zipporah is far from being an inspiring character with which to end our alphabetical coverage of all the named women of the Bible. One could have wished for a nobler and more godly example of female biography as a fitting conclusion to this section of our study. Looking back over the large number of women whose names are recorded in Holy Writ we realize that taken together they represent all aspects of human nature—good, bad and indifferent. For the majority, they lived their lives as they passed through this short scene of trial into eternity, leaving little trace behind them.

But as we have seen, others, by their character and history, have left their names engraved in the impregnable Rock of Holy Scripture, with their records serving as either warning signals where they were conspicuous for evil, or as shining examples of high endeavor, where their lives were lived as unto Him who created both male and female for His glory. Whatever was thus written in former days was written for our instruction, that by [our steadfast and patient] endurance and the encouragement [drawn] from the Scriptures we might hold fast and cherish hope ( Romans 15:4 , Amplified Bible). © 1988 Zondervan. All Rights Reserved Bible Gateway Zipporah - My Jewish Learning Zipporah Reprinted with permission from Who’s Who in the Hebrew Bible (The Jewish Publication Society). Zipporah, the wife of Moses, was one of the seven daughters of Reuel, a Midianite priest, who was also called Jethro (Exodus 3:1) and Hobab (Judges 4:11). Moses, fleeing from Egypt, arrived in Midian and sat down by a well.

While he was resting, Reuel’s daugh­ters came to water their father’s flocks. Other shep­herds arrived and drove the girls away so they could water their own flocks first. Moses, fearlessly, took on the shepherds and drove them away. The girls returned home earlier than usual. Their father Reuel asked them, "How is it that you have come back so soon today?" The girls answered, "An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds; he even drew water for us and watered the flock." "Where is he then?" Reuel asked them. Why did you leave the man? Ask him in to break bread (Exodus 2:18–20)." Moses stayed and lived with the Midianite priest and his fam­ily. Reuel gave him his daughter Zipporah in marriage; and, in due time, she gave birth to Gershom and then to Eliezer. After all the men in Egypt who had sought his death had died, God commanded Moses to return to Egypt. Moses took his wife and sons and started his journey back to Egypt. On the road, they stayed in an inn, where a mysterious incident took place.

The Bible tells us that God came to kill Moses. Zipporah quickly circumcised Gershom with a sharp stone and touched Moses’ legs with it, saying "A bridegroom of blood because of the circumcision (Exodus 4:26)." After that event, Moses sent Zipporah and the children back to her father in Midian, and he continued alone to Egypt. After Moses succeeded in taking the Israelites out of Egypt, Reuel came to the Hebrew camp in the wil­derness, bringing with him Zipporah and her two sons, Gershom and Eliezer, who had been staying with him. Some scholars identify Zipporah with the Ethiopian woman whose marriage to Moses was harshly criti­cized by Miriam and Aaron. Reprinted with permission from Who’s Who in the Hebrew Bible (The Jewish Publication Society). Zipporah, the wife of Moses, was one of the seven daughters of Reuel, a Midianite priest, who was also called Jethro (Exodus 3:1) and Hobab (Judges 4:11). Moses, fleeing from Egypt, arrived in Midian and sat down by a well.

While he was resting, Reuel’s daugh­ters came to water their father’s flocks. Other shep­herds arrived and drove the girls away so they could water their own flocks first. Moses, fearlessly, took on the shepherds and drove them away. The girls returned home earlier than usual. Their father Reuel asked them, "How is it that you have come back so soon today?" The girls answered, "An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds; he even drew water for us and watered the flock." "Where is he then?" Reuel asked them. Why did you leave the man? Ask him in to break bread (Exodus 2:18–20)." Moses stayed and lived with the Midianite priest and his fam­ily. Reuel gave him his daughter Zipporah in marriage; and, in due time, she gave birth to Gershom and then to Eliezer. After all the men in Egypt who had sought his death had died, God commanded Moses to return to Egypt. Moses took his wife and sons and started his journey back to Egypt. On the road, they stayed in an inn, where a mysterious incident took place.

The Bible tells us that God came to kill Moses. Zipporah quickly circumcised Gershom with a sharp stone and touched Moses’ legs with it, saying "A bridegroom of blood because of the circumcision (Exodus 4:26)." After that event, Moses sent Zipporah and the children back to her father in Midian, and he continued alone to Egypt. After Moses succeeded in taking the Israelites out of Egypt, Reuel came to the Hebrew camp in the wil­derness, bringing with him Zipporah and her two sons, Gershom and Eliezer, who had been staying with him. Some scholars identify Zipporah with the Ethiopian woman whose marriage to Moses was harshly criti­cized by Miriam and Aaron. <!-- David Mandel studied at the University of Pennsylvania under Bible scholar Moshe Greenberg, and moved to Israel in 1970, where he founded Computronic Corporation, an Israeli software development company that specializes in biblical software. --> Zipporah: Bible | Jewish Women's Archive by Tikva Frymer-Kensky Zipporah is a Midianite woman who becomes the wife of Moses.

After Moses kills an Egyptian, he flees from the pharaoh and settles among the Midianites, an Arab people who occupied desert areas in southern Transjordan, northern Arabia, and the Sinai. He meets the seven daughters of Reuel, priest of Midian, at a well; rescues them from shepherds who are harassing them; and fills their jugs with water. In gratitude, Reuel (called Jethro or Hobab in other biblical passages) offers Moses hospitality, then gives him his daughter Zipporah in marriage (Exod 2:21–22). She and Moses have two sons, Gershom and Eliezer (Exod 18:3–4). Zipporah is the heroine of a bizarre incident that takes place as Moses heads back to Egypt with his wife and sons (Exod 4:20). On their way, at a night encampment, “The Lord met him [Moses] and tried to kill him” (Exod 4:24). No reason is given, just as no reason is given for the angel’s attack on Jacob as he came back from Mesopotamia (Gen 32:24).

Jacob was alone and wrestled with the angel all night; Moses is with his wife, who comes to his rescue. She takes a flint and cuts off her son’s foreskin. She then flings the foreskin at “his” feet, declaring that he is hatan damim to her (Exod 4:26). Zipporah’s enigmatic statement has two possible explanations: she flings the foreskin at Moses’s feet, saying, “You are a bridegroom of blood to me” (NRSV), or she flings it at God’s feet, saying, “You are a blood father-in-law to me.” (Damim means “blood,” and hatan can mean either “bridegroom” or “father-in-law.”) Either way, her deed and words stop the attack. The story is already difficult for the narrator, who adds a comment that hatan damim refers to circumcision. The situation remains unclear to us. Zipporah, however, understood it and acted decisively to rescue Moses.

Zipporah’s name, meaning “bird,” combined with her protection of Moses, is reminiscent of the fierce loyalty to her husband Osiris of the Egyptian goddess Isis, who is often portrayed as a bird of prey. Zipporah is not well rewarded. At some point before the exodus from Egypt, Moses sends her and the children away (Exod 18:2). After the exodus, her father, the priest of Midian (here called Jethro), comes to visit Moses, bringing Zipporah and her two sons. Moses is told that his father-in-law Jethro is “coming to see you, with your wife and her two sons” (Exod i8:6). Moses goes out to greet Jethro and takes him into his tent, but nothing is said about his greeting Zipporah. Moses’ neglect of Zipporah is obvious, as he (not God) tells the men at Sinai not to approach any women in preparation for God’s approach in three days (Exod 19:2). Since he himself is apparently always in preparation for meeting with God, we can infer that he never sleeps with Zipporah.

In Num 12:1 Miriam and Aaron speak against Moses because of the “Cushite woman” whom he married, but they do not mention her name. Midrashic tradition assumed they were discussing Moses’ neglect of Zipporah. Other interpreters see the Cushite woman as a second wife, with Miriam and Aaron opposed to the marriage. But no children are ever recorded for a second wife of Moses. Bibliography Ashby, Godfrey. “The Bloody Bridegroom: The Interpretation of Exodus 4:24–26.” Expository Times 106 (1995): 203–205. Meyers, Carol, General Editor. Women in Scripture. New York: 2000. Pardes, Ilana. Countertraditions in the Bible: A Feminist Approach. Cambridge, MA: 1992. Propp, William. “That Bloody Bridegroom (Exodus 4:24–26).” Vetus Testamentum 43 (1993): 495–518. Robinson, Bernard P.

“Zipporah to the Rescue: A Contextual Study of Exodus 4:24–26.” Vetus Testamentum 36 (1986): 447–461. Zipporah - Moses' Wife - Christian Living BellaOnline's Christian Living Editor Zipporah - Moses' Wife Zipporah, whose name means sparrow or bird, is a woman of the Bible who is often skipped over in light of Moses' important work, but she saved his life. Zipporah was one of the seven daughters of Jethro, a priest of Midian. Jethro, (also called Ruell), was not necessarily a priest of the One True God of the Hebrews. The Midianites were descendents of Abraham's second wife Keturah. Although, as descendants of Abraham, they would have likely retained some of the knowledge of God, they worshiped other gods as well. Moses had recently arrived in Midian, having fled Egypt to save his life. Zipporah may have fallen in love with him at their first meeting, as many girls are apt to do with heroes.

She and her sisters were at the well drawing water for their father's flock when some shepherds came and chased them away. Moses happened to be sitting nearby and came to the rescue by driving off the shepherds. They were no match for the Egyptian trained fighter. He continued his heroic behavior by drawing the water for the flock. It is quite possible that all seven girls would have set their sites on him after such a display. When Zipporah and her sisters reported these exciting events to their father, he invited Moses into his home. Moses stayed with him and became a shepherd. Some time later, he was given Zipporah as his wife. She bore him two sons, Gershom and Eliezer. Gershom's name means "alien" or "stranger." Moses said, "I have become an alien in a foreign land." Eliezer means "my God is my helper." Moses said, "My father's God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh." Moses had been in Midian for forty years when God sent him back to Egypt to rescue his people. He asked his father-in-law's permission, gathered his wife and sons and set off for Egypt.

On their way, the Lord confronted Moses and was about to kill him for not fulfilling the requirement of circumcising his son. It is thought that Moses may have been very ill for Zipporah took a knife and circumcised their son herself, saving Moses' life. Then she touched the knife to Moses' feet saying, "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me." They had different habits of speech back then so it is difficult to know what she meant by such an odd statement. There are two theories as to her meaning. It may have been a derogatory remark if she was opposed to the circumcision. She was not fully aware of covenant of circumcision made between God and Abraham. She may have seen the circumcision as redemption for her husband's life. Her bridegroom returned to her. We know that Zipporah went back to her father's home before the great Exodus of the Hebrews. It may have been directly after this episode, Moses would have been more aware of the danger of his mission and that he must keep his attention on God to complete his holy calling.

Later, after Moses had led the Hebrews out of Egypt and into the dessert, the Bible says that his father-in-law, Jethro, heard of his success and went out into the dessert to visit. He took along Zipporah and her sons to reunite the family. That's the last we hear of Zipporah in the Bible. I like to think that she and her sons stayed on and that she spent the rest of her life with her husband. <BR> What Does the Bible Say About Moses' Family? What Does the Bible Say About Moses’ Family? Zipporah, Gershom and Eleazer And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter. And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land. We know from Exodus 2:21 that Moses married Zipporah, the daughter of the Midianite priest, Jethro (also known as Reuel). Verse 22 tells us that Zipporah bore Moses a son, whose name was Gershom.

The next mention of either Zipporah or Gershom is found in Exodus 4:20, which says, “And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Eygpt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.” Although only one son (Gershom) had been mentioned in the initial account of Moses’ marriage to Zipporah (Exodus 2:21-22), evidently Eleazer (the second son) had been born during Moses’ forty-year stay in Midian. There is no biblical record of when or under what circumstances Zipporah and her two sons returned to her father (Jethro) from Egypt. However, many Bible commentators think that Moses sent his family back for safety. Following is a quote from the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary by Robert Jamieson concerning this. “There is no express mention of Zipporah and her sons having been sent back to remain with her father.

But it is certain that she was sent back; and whether, as the Jewish rabbis say, this was done by the advice of Aaron; whether the motive for it was a tender regard for the safety of the family, to keep them away from the intensely agitating and engrossing scenes of the exodus, or, as some suppose, a domestic feud, caused by the circumcision of the younger son, had produced a sudden strife and alienation between Moses and Zipporah, there is no doubt that she returned to sojourn under her father’s roof.” The next mention of Zipporah and her sons is found in Exodus 18:2 where the account begins with Jethro taking Zipporah and her two sons, Gershom and Eleazer, back to Moses “…in the wilderness, where he encamped at the Mount of God” (v. 5).

A further passage referring to Moses’ sons is 1 Chronicles 23:14-16: “Thus, Moses’ sons were ranked with the Levites generally, but not introduced in to the distinctive portion of the descendants of Levi who were appointed to the special functions of the priesthood.” (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary, Vol. I, p. 498, Robert Jamieson). Did Moses Have a Second Wife? The only other reference found in the Bible pertaining to Moses’ wife is found in Numbers 12:1. Is this a reference to Zipporah, his only recorded wife, or does it refer to a new wife? Dr. Harold L. Willmington, in his commentary Numbers, in the Liberty Bible Commentary says: “The word ‘Ethiopian’ (Cushite) in verse 1 may indicate it was a new wife. If so, she could have been either a foreigner saved out of Egypt with the Israelites, or a daughter of the Cushites dwelling in Arabia. At any rate, neither marriage would have been wrong, for the prohibition in Exodus 34:16 referred only to the Canaanites” (Liberty Bible Commentary, Vol.

I. p. 277). Dr. W. A. Criswell, in the Criswell Study Bible, says: “It is possible Zipporah the Midianite was the only wife Moses had and the terms “Cushan” and “Midian” may be synonymous.” Whatever the case, there is no further reference in the Bible to either Moses’ wife, Zipporah, or his sons, Gershom and Eliezer. We do not know when or how they died. The following two tabs change content below. Zipporah, Moses' Ethiopian Wife Offered to Begin A Black Skin Tribe of Jews:Black Woman in Scripture CHARACTER PROFILES OF WOMEN IN THE BIBLE ZIPPORRAH Wife of the Writer of the First Five Books of the Bible And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.” (Num. 12:1) Members of both Christian and Jewish faiths are usually surprised to learn that the man God chose to write the first five books of the Bible was married to a black woman and suffered persecution for it.

Moses’ wife was of Ethiopian (Cushitic) descent and her name was Zipporah. Undoubtedly she was either very petite or premature at birth for her name means “small as a sparrow,” and as God’s eyes are upon the sparrows, they were certainly on this little Ethiopian woman of color. (Num. 12:1) In The Complete Works of Blacks in the Bible, you will learn more than you thought was possible to know about this black woman. Moses and his family almost lost their lives because of this Ethiopian woman and her Ethiopic religious roots. God, Himself, brought judgment time and again because of this African woman. Find the exclusive blessing that God desired to grant this black woman which would have made her the most blessed woman in human history next to a virgin named Miriam, the Hebrew who we call the Virgin Mary. Paypal only $17.99 ! Miriam No. 1 - All the Women of the Bible - Bible Gateway Fearful in praises! Doing wonders! As the first of the sweet singers of Israel, Miriam sang for God, using her gift for the elevation of human souls into a higher life.

A dreary wilderness faced the children of Israel, and Miriam knew that they would march better if they sang. So her song was one of cheer and full of the memory of all God had accomplished for His people. “The greatest stimulus for the crossing of Jordan is the fact that we have already crossed the Red Sea,” wrote George Matheson. “It was wise in Miriam to begin with that Sea and over its prostrate waves to sound her first timbrel.” A Jealous Sister in the Wilderness What a faithful mirror the Bible is of the characters it portrays! Blemishes, as well as beauties, are revealed. It tells the naked truth of those it describes. There is a blot upon almost all its portraits, and “its blots are as much a bit of the art as its beauties.” A double feature of the failure of the Bible’s heroes and heroines is that they are usually associated with middle life after the morning inspired with hope and courage unbounded is past, as in the case of Miriam. Further, such failures come where we should not expect them to overtake the otherwise true and noble.

Miriam, for instance, rebelled against the mission of her life, namely, to protect and labor in partnership with Moses whom she had been the means of saving for his country. Miriam was, above all things, a faithful patriot, with a love for her country greater than the love for her renowned brother. It was because he was the chosen emissary of God to lead Israel out of bondage into freedom that she rebelled against him in a twofold way. Jealousy led Miriam to reject both the position of Moses as the leader of the host, and his partner in the wife he took unto himself. She found the management and marriage of Moses most irksome. In the first place, Miriam rebelled against the bride of Moses whose first wife, Zipporah, was a Midianite or Gentile ( Exodus 2:21 ). The second wife was an Ethiopian, a Cushite, a dark-skinned beauty from the African country south of the Nile cataracts. By this time Miriam was an old woman and possibly resented the presence of a younger and more attractive woman so close to her brother.

Miriam despised the bride of Moses not because of her color, but because she was a foreigner. Racepride made the Ethiopian woman objectionable. It was not so much feminine jealousy on Miriam’s part as patriotic jealousy. She was a confirmed member of the Hebrew race, and dead set against any foreign alliance. Because the blood of a mean ancestry was in the veins of the Ethiopian whose people hated the worship of the true God, Miriam feared the influence of the new wife upon Moses. But Miriam’s greatest offense was her sarcastic rejection of the leadership of Moses. Hitherto, she had been a symbol of unity as she shared in the triumphs and hopes of Israel. Now, unfortunately, she is prominent as a leader of discord, division and discontent. It will be noted that Aaron is paired with his sister in the outburst against the acquisition and the authority of Moses. But by the order of the names it is evident that Miriam was the instigator and the spokeswoman in the revolt. “Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses” ( Numbers 12:1 ). This is understandable because of the close bond of friendship between two who had never been parted.

After Miriam as a young girl saved Moses' life, she scarcely saw him for almost 80 years, but with Aaron she had lived quietly at home. Now she takes the initiative in opposition against the younger brother, and uses his Ethiopian wife as a pretext to rebel against the superior authority of Moses. Her jealous heart led her to reject God’s discrimination in favor of Moses against her and Aaron. Thus personal jealousy and fear of their own respective leadership are mingled in their question, “Hath God indeed spoken only by Moses? Hath he not spoken also by us?” Miriam and Aaron aspired to a joint partnership in state power and in the government of Israel, and they failed. If Moses had erred in marrying his dark bride, it was a personal mistake and not a public crime. Miriam’s chief error consisted in her effort to break down the God-given authority of Moses, and thereby imperil the unity and hope of the nation. Her fault then was greater than that of Moses, because it was an offense against the commonwealth. It is true that Miriam had functioned as a prophetess and used Aaron as a prophet, but God had distinctly said, “My servant Moses is not so.

With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently and not in dark speeches.” Such was God’s elective sovereignty, and Miriam’s sin was grievous in that she rebelled against what God had spoken. That such a sister should be jealous of her brother is beyond conception, but human nature even at it best is very frail. How true it is that “jealousy is the apprehension of superiority and the towering character of Moses doubtless disturbed the peace of Miriam.” George Eliot has the phrase, “One of the torments of jealousy is that it can never turn away its eyes from the thing that pains it.” Paul places “evil speaking” among the cardinal sins. Moses, meekest of all men, acted as a deaf man who heard not, and as a dumb man who opened not his mouth. God had heard the complaints Miriam had voiced and He called the trio of leaders to meet Him at the tabernacle of the congregation. Taking up the defense of Moses, God spoke directly to Miriam and Aaron in no uncertain terms that they had not only hurt Moses but that they had failed in their duty toward Him.

Moses received divine vindication as God’s servant who had been faithful, and as the one whom He had chosen as the medium of a divine revelation. Then the rebellious sister and brother were reprimanded by God for speaking against His honored servant. How silenced the three must have been when, standing at the door of the tabernacle, they were silenced by the austerity and authority of the divine voice! In righteous wrath God withdrew from the holy place. A Repentant Leper Outside the Camp As the divine cloud left the tabernacle, the eyes of Aaron sought his beloved and forceful sister, and to his horror she had been smitten with leprosy—the foul disease that made the victim look like death, white as snow, a living corpse ( Numbers 12:12 ). The proud, jealous prophetess was condemned to endure the most humiliating of diseases. While Aaron was united with Miriam in rebellion against Moses, judgment only fell upon Miriam which indicated that she had been the instigator, and had influenced her pliable brother.

“Look at her in her rapture, like one out of the body with the joy of the Lord, at the Red Sea,” says Alexander Whyte, “and now see to what her wicked heart and her wicked tongue have brought her. Look at her with her hand upon her throat, and with a linen cloth upon her lip, and with her hoarse, sepulchral noisome voice wandering far from the camp, and compelled to cry Unclean! Unclean! when any one came in sight.” How humiliating it must have been for Miriam to see people fleeing from her—the one who had before led them so triumphantly. Her judgment was swift and signal, even though hers was a temporary disgrace. Aaron and Moses, overcome with pity for their condemned sister and filled with brotherly love, prayed for Miriam that the punishment might pass from her. Prayer was heard on her behalf, and after her separation from the camp for seven days, she was healed of her leprosy. Evidently Miriam had the sympathy of the whole nation during her week of purification.

Although she held up the progress of the host for those seven days, such was her popularity that “the people journeyed not [from Hazeroth] till Miriam was brought in again.” When Moses came to write out the law in respect to leprosy, he mentioned his sister Miriam as an example ( Deuteronomy 24:9 ). Thus her presumptuous effort to change the leadership of Israel ended in her humiliation and in the divine vindication of Moses as the undisputed leader of the people. What happened to Miriam during her seven days without the camp as she bore the sorrow of seeing Israel’s march to the Promised Land arrested because of her jealousy we are not told. Doubtless she was repentant, but her strength was broken and the gift of prophecy had left her. One also wonders what the thoughts of Moses' wife were during that lonely week as she thought of her sister-in-law punished and excluded because she condemned Moses for making her his wife. Further, had the confidence of Moses in Aaron and Miriam been so shaken as to make him walk alone?

Restored to divine favor we would fain believe Miriam was noble and submissive through the rest of her days, even though we do not hear again of her until her death. A Dying Saint at Kadesh Alexander Whyte reckons that Miriam did not live long after that dread week, that she died not because of her old age, or the dregs of the leprosy, but of a broken heart. The Bible is silent as to any further service she rendered once the camp moved on. Had her sorrow crushed her song, and her presumption silenced her prophetic voice? This we do know, that as Moses was not permitted to enter the Land of Promise because “he spoke unadvisedly with his lips” at the rock, so Miriam because of her sin died before the entrance to Canaan, and was buried at Kadesh-barnea, where Israel mourned for her. She passed away at the eleventh hour of the completion of Israel’s journey of forty years ( Numbers 20:1 ). Tradition has it that she was given a costly funeral and buried on the mountain of Zin, and mourned for some 30 days.

But her last resting place, like that of her great brother, Moses, is one of the secrets of God. As an epitaph for her grave, wherever she sleeps, we can inscribe “She sang the song of Moses: but it was also the song of the Lamb.” What are some of the lessons to be learned from the feminine jealousy and ambition which were the drawbacks in Miriam’s otherwise commanding character? First of all, we should learn to avoid the temptation to wield power at the expense of losing influence. Miriam had great influence in her sphere as prophetess and leader of the praises of Israel, but she was not content. She coveted equal power with Moses. Then is it not folly in trying to add to our prestige and dictating to others, as Miriam and Aaron when they gave vent to their feelings against Moses? The most impressive lesson to learn from Miriam is that it is injurious to our character to be discontented with our own distinction, and to jealously desire the higher place of honor which another holds. My soul, never forget that it was envy that crucified the Lord who personified humility! © 1988 Zondervan.

All Rights Reserved Bible Gateway Zipporah Definition and Meaning - Bible Dictionary ZIPPORAH zi-po'-ra, zip'-o-ra (tsipporah; Sepphora): The Midianite wife of Moses, daughter of Jethro, also called Hobab, and probably grand-daughter of Reuel, a priest of Midian at the time Moses fled from Egypt, later succeeded at his death by Jethro, or Hobab ( Exodus 2:21,22 ; 4:25,26 ; 18:2-6 ). Whether or not Zipporah was the "Cushite woman" ( Numbers 12:1 ) is a much-mooted question. There is little ground for anything more than speculation on the subject. The use of the words, "Cushite woman" in the mouth of Aaron and Miriam may have been merely a description of Zipporah and intended to be opprobrious, or they may have been ethnic in character and intended to denote another woman whom Moses had married, as suggested by Ewald (Gesch. des Volkes Israel, II, 252). The former view seems the more probable.

The association of Midian and Cushan by Habakkuk (3:7) more than 700 years afterward may hardly be adduced to prove like close relationship between these peoples in the days of Moses. M. G. Kyle Zipporah Zipporah Women of the Bible Zipporah This article contains a free Women of the Bible Study resource on the subject of Zipporah. It provides facts, a biography and information about this famous woman of the Bible for bible study. There is also reference to where Zipporah is mentioned in the Holy Bible. Bible Dictionary Definition - Who was Zipporah? The definition and outline of Zipporah is as follows: According to the Old Testament she was the wife of Moses and the daughter of Jethro, a priest of Midian. Biography, Facts and Information about Zipporah The following info provides a concise biography with facts and information about Zipporah: Jethro's's daughter, who became the wife of Moses (Exodus 2:21).

In consequence of the event recorded in Exodus 4:24-26, she and her two sons, Gershom and Eliezer, when so far on the way with Moses toward Egypt, were sent back by him to her own kinsfolk, the Midianites, with whom they sojourned till Moses afterwards joined them (18:2-6). Zipporah We have selected Zipporah as one of the most important women from the Bible and provided a biography and character outline of this famous woman. Much of the information is taken from the classic reference books including Matthew George Easton "Easton's Bible Dictionary" and Ashley S Johnson "Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia". Zipporah - A Free Christian Bible Study Resource We hope that this Zipporah article from our Women of the Bible Study section will provide useful information and ideas for those following a Bible Study plan. This article about Zipporah, together with other tools, activities, aids and materials and are designed to be used by an individual or a Christian Bible study group.

This biography of Zipporah may prove useful as the basis for fun Sunday School lessons for Christian children and kids other topics will prove a useful asset to teens, youth or adults taking a Bible Study course or Biblical degree. All information on this Zipporah page is free to be used as an educational Christian Bible Study resource.

Zipporah Zipporah Zipporah - a free Women of the Bible Study resource about this famous woman of the Bible A free Zipporah learning aid for Christian students undertaking Bible studies and learning about Zipporah Use this free information about Zipporah for an online Bible study course Ideal biography for Biblical Studies, Sunday School lessons and Women in the Bible Study Zipporah Zipporah Zipporah- Character - Female - Woman - Women - Lesson - Studies - Study - Kids - Women - Biblical - Children - Youth - Research - Facts - Info - Information - Christian - Sunday School - Outlines - Old Testament - New Testament - Great - Famous - Biography - Important - Female - Woman - Women - Bad - Good - List - Search - Character - Lesson - Studies - Study - Kids - Women - Biblical - Children - Youth - Research - Facts - Info - Information - Christian - Sunday School - Outlines - Old Testament - New Testament - Great - Famous - Biography - Female - Woman - Women - Important - Bad - Good - List - Search - Zipporah

Question: In the Bible whose wife was Zipporah?
Answer: Moses